


The Clearing

by SwanQueenScotty



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-11
Updated: 2017-03-22
Packaged: 2018-10-02 19:01:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10224980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SwanQueenScotty/pseuds/SwanQueenScotty
Summary: Sorry I suck at summaries. Set in Neverland, just after Emma and co. leave the Echo Cave. Regina sees Emma looking upset so follows after her...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've written a canon of chapters so far, but I can't say when next update will be as I have a 16 week old baby to care for...  
> This is my first fic for Once Upon a Time and I'm a hardcore Swan Queen shipper. So if you don't like Swan Queen then don't read this.  
> Also, I done have a beta, but I hate bad grammar so if you spot any mistakes then please feel free to let me know.  
> And on that note:
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time or any characters from this show, blah blah blah...

After leaving the Echo Cave, Emma was feeling emotional and decided to go for a walk by herself to clear her mind. She wasn't the emotional type and would never show anyone her vulnerable side so she had to get away fast before anyone saw that side of her. No way was she gonna to let Mary Margaret know that what she revealed in the cave had really upset Emma. Of course they wanted another child. Emma wasn't really theirs, was she? At least that was how she was made to feel. And her confession to Neal made him somehow think that she was willing to give them a second chance for some absurd reason. No fucking way, man! And Hook! God, was he a pain in the ass. It was just a kiss, for fuck sake. If she had any inkling that he would take it seriously then she never would have even blinked in his direction. Besides, she had sworn off men since she got out of jail.

So when she managed to find herself alone in a clearing, she allowed herself a moment to let out a heartfelt sob filled with all the hurt and frustration at herself and at her mother and Neal and damn Hook. Unbeknownst to her, a pair of sparkling brown eyes were watching her.

~~~

Regina had seen Emma escape the group as she herself had arrived back from her jaunt with Rumple. She could see that Emma was upset about something and it just wouldn't do to have her walk off and get lost like the idiot that she was, so she decided to go after Emma to make sure she didn't get lost. That was all, she told herself. She ignored the fact that seeing Emma upset had made her feel… something. So imagine her surprise when she got to the clearing and found Emma on her knees and her face in her hands, sobbing like a child. In that moment, she felt her heart clench at how small and so much like Henry Emma reminded her of. She was just about to step towards Emma – though what she was going to say, she didn't have a clue. She had never expected to see such a vulnerable side to the saviour – but Neal seemed to have appeared out of the blue and before she knew it, he was on the ground beside Emma, trying to comfort her. Regina took a step back and stayed hidden behind a giant boulder and watched as Emma abruptly got up and roughly shrugged Neal’s hand off her shoulder. Regina’s first instinct was to feel rage – she wanted to be the one to comfort Emma, for some reason. But when she saw how Emma shrugged him off, she couldn't deny she was pleased. She was going to go away. Honestly. But couldn't help but stay and eavesdrop on what was looking like the start of an argument. Especially when she heard her own name leave Neal’s mouth.

~~~

Emma suddenly felt a big hand on her shoulder and shot up immediately, shrugging off whoever’s hand it was. She let out a huge breath, wiping the tears from her face before turning around to face whoever was disturbing her solitude.

“Dammit, Neal! What the hell, man?!”

“Sorry, sorry!” Neal stood back with both hands up in a show of surrender.

“God, you almost scared me to death! A little warning next time! What do you want, anyway?”

“Nothing. I mean, I just wanted to talk to you about Henry so I followed you… are you…okay?”

“Yeah, I'm peachy”, Emma said whilst rolling her eyes.

“Hey, don't be like that, Ems. I-“

“Don't! Just don't, Neal. Now, what about Henry?”

“I'm concerned that Regina is going to try keep him once we are all back in Storybrooke, so I propose we take him away wi-“

“Woah, woah, woah! Hold up. No way, Neal! There's no way I'm taking Henry away from his mother!”

“YOU are his mother, Emma! Not that evil wit-‘”

“Finish that sentence, Neal, and you’ll never see Henry again! I'm dead serious.”

“What!? Emma, what the fuck has gotten into you? She tried to to kill you, for Gods sake!”

“Actually, no, she didn't…”

“Uh, excuse me but she gave you a poisonous apple! Duh!”

“Yeah, and that wouldn't have killed me…just put to sleep for a hundred years…or until my true love kissed me…” ok, in Emma's mind, that doesn't sound too good either when said out loud, but she wasn't going to admit that to Neal.

“Like that's any better! Who knows when or if I would have ever seen you again!”

“What!?” Emma couldn't believe Neal’s audacity. “You are not my true love, Neal! Did you not hear what I said in that damn cave!?”

“You said you still loved me! And we have a kid together!”

“I also said that I wish you were still dead! And having a kid together does not make us true loves! Anyway, we are getting away from the main issue here which is that we are not taking Henry away from Regina. That would break her heart!”

“She doesn't have a heart!”

“Son of a bitch!” And she couldn't help it. Honestly, she couldn't. But something just snapped inside of her and before she knew it, she threw her fist at his face and a crack reverberated through the air. And there was blood. On her hand but mostly on Neal's face. It was pouring out his nose. But Emma didn't notice coz she was too busy swearing over her broken hand, already swollen. 

“Aaaarrrggghhh! Dammit, Emma! What the hell?!” 

“Have you even met your son, Neal!? He is the sweetest, kindest, most loving kid I've ever met! And he is so touching and just loves giving hugs.” Emma said this whilst holding her right hand with her left, trying to heal it, but nothing was happening. But she didn't care. Punching Neal was worth a broken anything. 

“What the fuck are you talking about? What does any of that have to do with her!?”

“Regina raised him, you moron! He is the kid he is because of her! No kind of Evil can love and raise a kid like that. In fact, I don't think she was ever evil. Just…misunderstood?”

“You're crazy, Emma. She.is.the.Evil. Queen!” 

“Did you ever even know Regina in the Enchanted Forrest?”

“No, but I heard about all the evil things she did and my dad told me-“

“Woah, hold up. Your dad? The Dark One? The person who taught her, mentored her? Manipulated her into casting the curse? The one who actually created the goddamn dark curse who separated me from my family? Who was more interested in being the Dark One and all the power it came with than his own son? You mean that father? 

“Hey, you can't blame my dad for your parents abandoning y-“

“That's what you got from all that? You're pathetic. You know what, Neal? I'm done talking to you. This isn't up for discussion. You so much as try and separate Regina from HER son, I will stop you.” 

“Why the hell are you defending her? You were the one who accused her of killing that cricket guy. And she hooked up with that crazy mother of hers and tried to get her mom to be the Dark One by killing my dad!”

“I was tricked into thinking she had killed Archie-“

“Her own crazy psycho mother set her up! And then she still hooks up with her mother to kill us all.”

“I made a mistake. I should have trusted my own instincts and believed her. She was starting to trust me and I let her down…” Emma felt really bad about the whole Archie thing. She still hasn't had a chance to apologise to Regina. As soon as she finished this damn talk with Neal, she would go look for Regina and tell her how sorry she is. “And Regina was just desperate to get Henry back. She didn't know her mom had set her up.”

“You let her down?! God, Emma. You are really delusional. She tried to kill your mom!”

“Well, Mary Margaret did kill Cora…”

“Are you even hearing yourself? Emma, get it into your head. God even Hook knows she's evil - that's why he helped Greg and Tamara electrocute her!”

“What!?” Emma couldn't believe it. No one had told her that Regina had been electrocuted. 

“Uh…I thought you knew….” 

“I didn't. Your crazy fiancé tortured my… Regina?!”

“Your Regina? And she didn't. Greg did. But yeah, she was there. But so was Hook.”

“No I wasn't.” Hook said as he walked into the clearing from seemingly out of nowhere.

“What do you mean, Hook. You told me-“

“Aye, I know what I told you, mate. But I didn't stay for the electric bit. They did that themselves. I wanted no part in that. I just wanted to kill the crocodile and they said they would help me if I delivered the Queen to them. I left once I knew what they had planned for her.”

“You mean you just left her there to die?!” Emma asked. She felt sick. She shouldn't be surprised, though. He was creepy and slimy. She much rather wished she had kissed Regina instead. Wait, what?

“Aye, love. Got a problem with that?”

“God, you guys are pathetic! No wonder I've gone off men. Women are much better”, she muttered under her breath. With that, Emma started walking away from them out of the clearing and back towards where she came from. She walked right past Regina, who was still hiding behind the boulder and had witnessed the whole thing and was still shocked by what she'd heard.

“Wait! Where are you going?” Neal shouted after her.

“To find Regina!” Emma threw over her shoulder as she started running so she could get away from those two idiots and find Regina faster.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the second chapter. Hopefully more will follow soon... all depends on baby...

Regina quickly poofed herself back to the campsite to join the Charmings before Emma got there. She also needed to try and think over everything she had overheard. There were a few times when she had wanted to appear to them and fireball Neal for even daring to take Henry away from her, but after hearing how Emma defended her, she stayed hidden. When she heard Emma punch Neal on her behalf, she was sure she felt her heart swell. And then when she could see that Emma’s hand was broken and swollen, she wanted desperately to heal it for her. But then she wanted Emma to succeed in doing it herself and feel proud of herself. She knew Emma could do it. She just needed to concentrate, but she couldn't concentrate with that idiot, Neal, talking over her. Damn idiot! And then when the hell had Hook appeared out of nowhere, she didn't see him walk past her. And she also thought Emma had known about her electrocution. God, she still shudders thinking about it. But she probably deserved it. And the whole thing with Archie. Well the evidence was quite foolproof. Even she would have accused herself of killing Archie so she couldn't really blame Emma now. She still felt hurt over the whole accusation. Regina actually trusted Emma and then to be accused of the murder by Emma herself…. Well, it hurt her a lot more than she cared to admit. But now after hearing Emma admit to Neal that she’d made a mistake. Well, Regina was glad to have heard that, but why has Emma not admitted it to Regina herself? And Emma is off men? What the hell did that mean?

“Regina! There you are!”

Drat! Regina needed more time to figure out her feelings. Did she like hearing Emma defend her from Neal’s verbal assaults? Oh hell yeah! And to know that Emma was on her side regarding Henry and hearing that Emma believed that Henry did still love Regina. Hearing that from Emma, well, it made her feel…. Something she hadn't felt in years. Decades, even.

“Regina! Helllooooo? Regina?” Emma was waving her hand in front of Regina’s face which is what finally got her attention.

“Yes?”

“Gosh, you were completely somewhere else there. Something on your mind?”

“Sorry, I was just thinking of… something.”

“Yeah, I could tell… you know, you can talk to me if you want to. I mean if you’d like to get something off your breast.” At that, Emma looked down at said breasts and then, “I mean chest, your chest! I mean not that you don't have nice breasts! I mean… oh God!” Emma face-planted into her hands. Did I just ogle Regina's breasts? Regina's not saying anything. Why isn't she saying anything? Emma chanced looking up at Regina through her fingers and found a smirk on her lips.

“Are you quite alright, dear?”

“Uh, yeah, sure.” Emma removed her hands and looked down at her feet, not sure what she should say next.

“Actually, I-“

“I'm sorry-“

  
“You're sorry? What for?”

“What were you going to say before I interrupted you, Regina?”

“You go first. What are you apologising for?”

“I didn't know… “ Emma said softly whilst looking down, her voice crackly and full of remorse.

“You didn't know what, Emma?”

“That you were… what Greg and Tamara did to you… and Hook. I just found out.” Emma looked up and into Regina's eyes. Tears were streaming down Emma's face and Regina couldn't help but feel affected by them.

“I know… I sort of heard you speaking to Neal just now…” Regina at least had the decency to look ashamed for eavesdropping. Emma just looked at her, unsure of what to say. “I'm sorry, I just… there's no excuse. I saw you looking upset earlier so I followed you to make sure you were okay… or didn't get lost…” she rolled her eyes at herself here. Anyway, I was going to approach you but then Neal appeared and I thought I'd just let him… comfort you.”

Emma snorted at this. “Right, like Neal could even do that… so you heard-“

“Everything. I heard everything, Emma. Thank-you…”

“Thank-you? What do you have to thank me for?”

“For standing up for me. No-one has ever done that for me before.” Regina spoke softly but still looked into Emma's eyes.

“No-one? What about…Daniel?” Emma was almost afraid to say his name in case it sent Regina into a rage.

“Not even Daniel. But I guess he never really got a chance to…” Regina closed her eyes as tears fell remembering how her own mother ripped out his heart and crushed it.

“Well, I meant every word, Regina. I'd never let anyone take Henry away from you. Not even me. You are his mother. Like you said before, you tended to all his falls, soothed every nightmare, dealt with all his tantrums. You were there for him and loved him unconditionally. That's all I wanted for him, you know? To be loved like…”

“Like?” Regina urged her on.

“Like I wasn't. And never will be…”

“What do you mean?” Regina asked, confused. “Henry loves you, Emma. He adores you.” Regina even smiles as she admits that.  
“Yeah he does. And he loves you too, you know. And we will find him and bring him home, Regina. But that's not what I meant. I was talking about Mary Margaret and David…” she can't bring herself to call them her parents or even Snow and Charming.

“I'm sure they love you, Emma. They-“

“They want another kid, Regina! She said it herself in that stupid Echo Cave. That was the secret she had to reveal. That she wants another baby coz they missed out on me.”  
Emma's voice faded there as tears continued to fall.

“Then they really are idiots, Emma…. But if it wasn't for my curse, your childhood wouldn't have been ruined…”

“But then we wouldn't have Henry. Besides, it wasn't your fault. They chose to put me in that wardrobe without knowing what would have happened to me.”

Regina just looked at Emma in wonderment. How could she have wanted to harm this woman?

“What are you thinking?” Emma asked seeing Regina looking deep in thought.

“Um…Is that why you were upset earlier? Because of what Snow revealed?”

“Yeah, plus the fact that David got hit by some of that dream-whatever it's called which means he can't leave the island or else he’ll die. So they decided to stay which means they are leaving me again. Everyone leaves me.” Emma bites her bottom lip to keep her lips from quivering, but it's useless. So she turns around, embarrassed at having Regina seeing her like this. She's meant to be the strong saviour after all. Then she feels the warmth of an arm around her shoulders and she realises Regina is actually touching her, comforting her.

“Emma, I'm sorry. I really don't know what to say except when we get Henry back and go home then you will always have us. We can be your family.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to my friend, Jenn, for helping me with this chapter.

Regina, herself, was surprised at what she had said as Emma looked at her with hope in her eyes. She knew she spoke the truth as the words came out her mouth and she knew that Emma believed her but she still didn't quite understand her own feelings regarding Emma. 

Emma just looked at her as she tried to remember what else she and Neal spoke about. Her eyes widened when she remembered the end of their argument.

“So…when you said you heard everything…did you hear what I said about going off guys?”

Regina just smirked at this. “Yes, I agree about women being so much better.” 

“It's true”, Emma smiled softly, “so when we get back home to Storybrooke…. can I take you out?” 

Regina was flabbergasted. “You know, when I said Henry and I would be your family, I didn't mean like that… I am way out of your league, Emma.”

“Oh! Um… I'm sorry, I…misunderstood-“ Emma's expression said it all. She was totally heartbroken without even realising she that felt that strongly about Regina, and that horrible feeling of rejection was portrayed on her face as well.

That look broke Regina’s heart. “Yes, you did, Emma. But when I say I'm out of your league, I mean that you are too good for me. Why would you want to go out with someone like me when you deserve so much better – and I don't mean Hook, by the way.”

“Regina, how can you say that. First of all, Hook doesn't even bare thinking about. Yeah, I kissed him-“

“You kissed that dirty pirate?” Regina looked disgusted and slightly jealous.

“As I was saying, yeah, I kissed him, but it was a ‘thanks for saving my dad’ kind of kiss. It meant nothing and now I wish I hadn't because he thinks I'm his true love. Which I'm not! Anyway, I digress. Regina, you know I've never seen you as the Evil Queen. I've only seen you as Regina. Just like you see me as Emma… or “Miss Swan”. We are equals, in my eyes. But if you don't like me that way, I won't push you. I'd like us to be friends at least.”

Regina was amazed. Emma was truly too good for her, but she wasn't going to give up her chance to be happy. She truly did feel like she and Emma could be friends, but even more than that, she thought they could be each other's happy ending. So she told Emma. 

“No, I don't want us to be friends…” Emma deflated. “I want us to be more than friends…” Emma laughed. A full joyful laugh. “Sorry,” Regina chuckled, “I didn't mean to…scare you.”

“Yeah, right! I take it back – you are the Evil Queen!” Emma smiled as she said this and Regina took it in the joking manner it was meant as. 

“Oh, my dear, believe me. You have yet to meet the Evil Queen.” 

“Yeah, I heard she was quite something… especially in the bedroom…” Emma bit her bottom lip to keep from smirking. God, did I just say that!?

“Oh?” Regina raised an eyebrow. “Pray tell who let that… pussy out the bag?”

“Oh…um….uh... “

“Cat got your tongue, dear?” 

“Granny…”

“What about Granny?” Regina's eyebrows furrowed.

“Granny told me… that you're apparently something else in bed.” Emma's face went beet red as she revealed this bit of information. 

“What!?” Regina gasped, eyes wide in horror, “I can assure you, Miss Swan, that Granny has never been that lucky to even see my bed chambers, never mind-“

“No! No, I never meant to imply that! I meant Granny told me she once overheard your hand maiden bragging to one of her friends in a tavern that she had spent a wonderful night with you….” Emma was still blushing as she said this.

“Oh…. Oh, well, I…uh…” Regina blushed, trying to think of who it could have been that revealed that bit of gossip. She had slept with a few of her hand maidens.

“Cat got your tongue, Madame Mayor? Or do you prefer Your Majesty?” Emma smirked, finding Regina actually quite adorable when she was speechless. 

“I prefer Regina. And, I shan't deny it. But if you keep up this….teasing, you shan't ever find out if I'm something else in bed.”

“Oh, shan't I?” Emma teased. “Your hand maiden, huh?” Emma stepped forward into Regina's personal space, raising a hand to cup her cheek.

“Emma.” Regina whispered , as she covered Emma's hand with her own. Emma let out a flinch, she had forgotten about her injured hand. She quickly took her hand back to hold it, but Regina took it gently into both of hers to examine it.

“Sorry, I forgot how you gallantly came to my defence by breaking your hand on that idiot’s face.” Regina smirked. “You really need to be more careful, Emma. But…thank-you…”

“You're welcome… I had also forgotten about it so it can't be broken. Just really sore. Can you…heal it for me?” 

“I can.” Regina held Emma's injured hand with her left hand as she healed it with her right by gently massaging it while magic poured out over it. She then gently rubbed her thumb over Emma's knuckles, back and forth before she brought her hand to her lips to kiss. She didn't know why she just kissed it, but it felt so good. I wonder how it would feel to kiss her lips…

“Th-thanks”, Emma stuttered. “I think the kiss did the trick.” Emma smiled, shyly looking into Regina's eyes.

“No problem….” Regina smiled back. 

“I guess we should go look for the others and try figure out what to do next…regarding Henry?”

“Yes. Yes, of course.” Regina sounded a bit sad at ending this connection they were sharing.

“Regina, before we get back to the rest of the group, I wanted to apologise to you about the whole Archie thing. I'm sorry I didn't believe you.” Emma sounded really sad and ashamed of herself. 

“Thank-you, Emma. I accept your apology. I have been thinking about it and it's not your fault. My mother…. Well you of all people know what's she's like. What she was like…”

“Still, I'm sorry about how the whole thing went down. And for your loss…”

“Yes, well. I think there's been enough blood shed between our family. I think, for Henry's sake, we should just try forgive and move on. Now, lets go save our son, Emma.”

“Great idea, Regina.” 

And with that, Emma took Regina by the hand and went to join the others to plan their attack on Pan and save their son.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be an epilogue...


End file.
